Our friends in the Kisatchie Fly Fishers club recently held their biennial festival in Pineville, and it was very successful. It's held in even years, while the New Orleans Fly Fishers event is held in odd years. No exact date yet for the NOFF Festival but it'll be sometime in January 2025. Our friends in the Big Easy always put on a really good show!
Here are dates for the remaining regional events this Spring:
Jan. 27 (Sat) – 31st annual Dr. ED RIZZOLO FLY TYING FESTIVAL, Trini Mendenhall Community Center, 1414 Wirt Rd, Houston, TX. 8:30am – 4:30pm. The largest fly tying event on the Gulf Coast features over 80 tiers as well as seminars and vendors. Featured guest tier: Les Lehman. Hosted by the Texas Fly Fishers club. Website: texasflyfishers.org.
Feb. 2-4 (Fri-Sun) – ATLANTA FLY FISHING SHOW, GA South Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Duluth, GA. 9am – 6pm. Largest fly fishing show in the South featuring nationally-renown speakers, tiers. Workshops, seminars, destination seminars, exhibitors, and more. FFI will host the Learning Center, with casting and fly tying instruction free to show attendees. Website: www.flyfishingshow.com.
Feb. 24-25 (Sat-Sun) – 7th annual TEXAS FLY FISHING & BREW FESTIVAL, Mesquite Convention Center, Mesquite, TX. Nationally known fly fishing authors, professional guides, expert casters, fly tiers from across the country, dozens of exhibitors. Microbrew sampling. Website: txflyfishingfestival.org.
Mar. 9 (Sat) – 26th Annual RED STICK DAY, Waddill Outdoor Education Center, 4142 N Flannery Rd, Baton Rouge, LA. 8:30am – 3:30pm. Free admission. Seminars, tying demos, kayak demos, casting clinics, food, refreshments. Hosted by Red Stick Fly Fishers. Website: www.rsff.org.
Mar. 21-23 – 27th annual SOWBUG ROUNDUP, Baxter County Fairgrounds, Mountain Home, AR. 9am – 4pm, each day. Admission $10 for all 3 days, adults with kids under 12 free. Largest fly tying event in the country, over 120 tiers. Seminars, fly tying clinics, vendors. Special guests Davy Wotton, Tim Flagler. Hosted by North Arkansas Fly Fishers. Website: www.sowbugroundup.org.
May 3-4 (Fri-Sat) – 2nd annual FFI GULF COAST CLASSIC, Learning Campus, Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, AL. Seminars, fly tying demos, casting clinics, raffles, Mixed Bag Challenge fishing contest. Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T) on Saturday 4pm. Hosted by the Gulf Coast Council of Fly Fishers International. Website: www.ffigulfcoastclassic.com or www.ffigcc.org.
May 11 (Sat) - THE DIRTY CARP fly fishing tournament, fly fishing tournament for carp in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Bernard parishes. Bank fishing only. Hosted by members of the New Orleans Fly Fishers. More details and registration to come soon. Follow on instagram @thedirtycarp for details as they become available.
